NASSCOM FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH OVER 200 ORGANIZATIONS TO LAUNCH DIGITAL LITERACY WEEK ACROSS INDIA

·         Concerted program to drive Digital Literacy from 21st to 28th February, 2015 

·         Targets Bringing Digital Literacy to citizens from 250+ urban, sub-urban and rural locations

Mumbai 24th February, 2015: NASSCOM Foundation kick-started the Digital Literacy Week with a target to bring digital literacy to over one lakh Indians. This initiative, is part of the National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM), and will complement the government’s vision to empower at least one person per household with critical digital literacy skills by 2020. This programme is expected to touch the lives of more than 250 million individuals over the next few years and aims at helping citizens adapt to an increasingly digital world.

The National Digital Literacy Mission is a far-sighted, dynamic and integrated platform for digital literacy awareness, education and capacity programmes that will help rural and underserved communities fully participate in the global digital economy. NASSCOM Foundation, the industry partner to the Government of India, aims to accomplish the first phase goal for NDLM or ‘DISHA’ by making 10 lakh individuals in India digitally literate within  18 months.

The content for making a lakh Indians digitally literate comes in seven modules and is presently teachable in Hindi, English, Telugu, and Kannada. The seven modules arePower in Your Hands, Internet, E-mail and Social Media, Useful Information, Government,              E-commerce and IT Security. Everyone going through these seven modules will be digitally empowered at the end of the course after passing an assessment conducted by NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology). 

According to Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman, NASSCOM Foundation, “The three R’s of education, namely Reading, (W)Riting and (A)Rithmetic which were all the rage in the 60’s are now passé. They have to be joined by a fourth pillar, namely Digital Literacy, to function in this technology driven world. NASSCOM Foundation has been focusing on making technology central to enabling change and the Digital Literacy Week is a great way to unite the volunteering strength of the industry and create a nation-wide Digital Literacy impact.”    

Mr. Shrikant Sinha, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said “We are glad to have over 50 corporates and 150 non-profit organizations partnering for this edition of the Digital Literacy Week and are confident of making people digitally literate. We appeal to all individuals to take out time and using their smart devices and start by helping their domestic aids become digitally literate.”

For countless Indians who lack basic computer skills, the rich cloud of online information is elusive. Working in partnership with India’s responsible business community, NASSCOM Foundation is attempting to close this digital divide by helping individuals harness the power of computers and develop necessary skills to start using them with confidence.  

About NASSCOM Foundation:  

NASSCOM Foundation is a leading non-profit organization driving technology for good.  The Foundation’s work is just as expansive and evolutionary as the potential that technology and corporate India entail. Drawing strength from its parent body NASSCOM, the Foundation works closely with four major stakeholders: NASSCOM member companies, NGOs, emerging social enterprises and Government, ‘changing India bit by bit’ - a journey to foster a strategic relationship between technology and development. NASSCOM Foundation’s core initiatives include working for Persons with Disabilities, fostering innovative solutions for social good, creating unique skilling models for underserved communities, and digital literacy where it is the industry partner to the Govt. of India’s National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM / DISHA)

Please visit www.nasscomfoundation.org for more information.